It’s election time in Ontario and that means it’s time to find out where your candidates stand on the issues that really matter.
In my role as CLAC’s healthcare coordinator for Ontario, I make a point to visit local MPPs to discuss issues in healthcare. During the election campaign I also visited some of those campaigning to become MPPs and attended several Meet the Candidates sessions. During one such event that focused solely on healthcare concerns, I was disappointed to learn how very little some of the candidates know about healthcare, other than the sexy issue of keeping emergency rooms open.
At one point, one of the candidates mentioned that he didn’t think nursing homes were regulated or inspected. This wasn’t a candidate from one of the smaller parties, but one of the main three (PC, NDP, and Liberal). One would think that since he was coming to a Meet the Candidates evening on the subject of healthcare, he would have done a little more research into healthcare as a whole, and not just the future of the local hospital.
Further meetings with the candidates helped me decide who I would be voting for. In case you are curious, it’s not the person who did more speaking than listening and who didn’t write a single note during the thirty minute meeting.
Take your right to vote in the election seriously: visit candidate websites, visit candidate offices, or attend a debate or a Meet the Candidates event, and then get out and vote.